Ideas for developing your research unit

Identity

• Develop a clear identity and profile for the research unit that works across different media and communication channels.
• Wherever possible, ensure that members of the research unit are physically located together.

Visibility

• Make sure to promote researchers and their research both internally and externally. Internally, for example, at departmental meetings, and externally by highlighting role models.
• Raise awareness of the value of research for clinical practice and, ultimately, for individual patients.

Networking

• Actively seek opportunities to network with other hospitals, departments and research institutions.
• Consider collaborating with other professional groups and academic disciplines, including the humanities, business and social sciences, and engineering.
• Learn from the experiences of other research units and user advisory boards.

Strategy

• Strengthen international collaboration, for example by involving adjunct professors.
• Consider how research findings will be disseminated and implemented from the very beginning, when defining the project.
• Take a strategic approach to deciding where the research unit should focus its efforts. What are the department's strategic priorities, and which areas of research would benefit from further development?
• Encourage greater interest in research, for example by expanding the research unit. This may spark curiosity among staff who might not otherwise have considered getting involved in research.
• Discuss the appropriate number of PhD students within the research unit from a strategic perspective.
• Consider the need for administrative support for researchers, such as research assistants, grant writers and secretarial staff.
• Use the Dialogue template for research unit development (currently being developed). This optional tool can help departmental management and research leaders discuss the strategic development of the research unit.

Research and clinical practice

• Ensure that researchers have the option of returning to a clinical position during periods when research funding is insufficient.
• Consider how working time should be divided between research and clinical practice.
• Raise awareness of the value that research brings to clinical practice.

Different professional backgrounds

• Aim to include a range of professional backgrounds within the research unit to create a dynamic research environment.
• Ensure that there are role models from all professional groups so that those interested in pursuing a research career can see themselves in such a role.
• For nursing research, consider establishing a collaboration with another department that has a professor of nursing.
• Strengthen the connection between clinical practice and research. For example, it is important that some PhD graduates continue their careers in clinical practice, as their research training equips them with additional skills to improve everyday clinical practice.
• Consider developing a funding model to provide additional financial support for professional groups with specific funding needs.

Values

• Promote a healthy work-life balance.
• Encourage constructive internal discussions, for example through research days and discussions within the Research Committee.
• Support networking among researchers, both within individual departments and across departments.

• Demonstrate management support for research activities within the department.
• Ensure that expectations are clearly communicated and agreed upon with all researchers in a timely manner.
• Be flexible and ensure that researchers' clinical responsibilities align with their research areas.
• Ensure transparency in career progression and transitions between career stages.
• Allow researchers flexibility in planning and managing their own working time.
• Respect the time allocated to research when researchers have been released from clinical duties.
• Focus on talent rather than professional background, and foster a positive working environment.
• Ensure a working environment where everyone feels psychologically safe.

• Consider increasing the research unit's presence on master's degree programmes.
• Consider involving students in clinical research projects, for example through project-oriented placements or research tracks.
• Give prospective researchers the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of research before committing to a research career.
• Arrange a meeting to discuss research opportunities with early-career clinicians, possibly involving a professor (a dialogue template is currently being developed).

General

• Focus on building research capacity across all professional groups and at all career stages.
• Work towards ensuring that every researcher in the unit has a career development plan.
• Provide opportunities for researchers to be released from clinical duties to dedicate time to research.
• Hold career development discussions with senior researchers.
• Conduct performance and development reviews with all researchers and establish a career development plan when they join the unit.

Undergraduate students

• Establish departmental support for research projects undertaken by undergraduate and medical students.

PhD students

• Ensure that PhD students have a career development plan in place from the outset, covering their career path after completing their PhD, including funding considerations.
• Be transparent about the career opportunities available to PhD students.
• Consider giving PhD students opportunities to act as co-supervisors and to be listed as the last author on research papers.
• For medically qualified PhD graduates, pay particular attention to their career development after completing their PhD, as they are often undertaking specialist medical training at this stage.
• Consider assigning a senior mentor to PhD students, postdocs and associate professors.

Postdocs and assistant professors

• Apply for funding from OUH's career development fund and the Region's career development fund to secure more time for research.

Professors

• Use the dialogue template (currently being developed) to support the continued affiliation of professors with the research unit. Consider how best to plan and shape their future professional roles.